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An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form ( endo means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., not an offspring).
Fig1. The sporulation process of Bacillus subtilis. Bacillus subtilis is a rod-shaped, Gram-positive bacteria that is naturally found in soil and vegetation, and is known for its ability to form a small, tough, protective and metabolically dormant endospore.
Endospore staining is a technique used in bacteriology to identify the presence of endospores in a bacterial sample. [1] Within bacteria, endospores are protective structures used to survive extreme conditions, including high temperatures making them highly resistant to chemicals. [ 2 ]
It has been proposed that endospore formation has allowed for the survival of some bacteria for hundreds of millions of years (e.g. in salt crystals) [14] [15] although these publications have been questioned. [16] [17] Endospore formation is limited to several genera of gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus and Clostridium. It differs from ...
As a model organism, B. subtilis is commonly used in laboratory studies directed at discovering the fundamental properties and characteristics of Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria. [29] In particular, the basic principles and mechanisms underlying formation of the durable endospore have been deduced from studies of spore formation in B ...
Bacillus species are rod-shaped, endospore-forming aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria; in some species cultures may turn Gram-negative with age. The many species of the genus exhibit a wide range of physiologic abilities that allow them to live in every natural environment. Only one endospore is formed per cell.
Bacterial spores have proven to be difficult to stain as they are not permeable to aqueous dye reagents. Endospore staining is particularly useful for identifying endospore-forming bacterial pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile. Prior to the development of more efficient methods, this stain was performed using the Wirtz method with heat ...
Some bacteria also produce endospores with an exosporium, of which the most commonly studied are Bacillus species, particularly Bacillus cereus and the anthrax-causing bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The exosporium is the portion of the spore that interacts with the environment or host organism, and may contain spore antigens. [1]